


he slept (and dreamt of triumph)

by ufuy29



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-atypical violence, Dark Magic, False Identity, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sailor Moon Classic, Shitennou Redemption, Shitennou!Usagi, Silver Millennium Era Politics, Worldbuilding, and how to use it correctly with adult supervision, of sorts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27703337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ufuy29/pseuds/ufuy29
Summary: He tears a piece of fabric from the youma’s green dress before moving closer to the girl, who scuttles backwards against the car fearfully. She still does not trust them… hopefully this gesture shall prove sufficient.Kunzite gently wraps the cloth around her head, stemming the bleeding and causing the girl’s stuttering breaths to even out.“What’s your name, child?”“...Usagi.”ORThe Senshi lose their leader years before they can even realize it, Usagi loses her parents but gains some brothers and Nephrite and Kunzite (adopt) recruit another member into the Shitennou.
Relationships: Tsukino Usagi & Jadeite, Tsukino Usagi & Kunzite, Tsukino Usagi & Nephrite
Comments: 12
Kudos: 31





	1. August 3rd, 1987

AUGUST 3RD, 1987.

“For Metallia’s sake, Kunzite! We were supposed capture the youma, not torch the entire fucking highway!”

Kunzite can barely hear Nephrite screaming at him over the roar of the inferno as he stares at the blazing diesel tanker lying on it’s side in front of them. Technically, Nephrite’s correct about how they weren’t supposed to cause too much wanton destruction, but protecting Terra from the devious machinations of the dark forces lying on the periphery of the human mind never has a cost that’s too high.

_(They’ve already sacrificed everything that was important; only their home matters now.) ___

__

Well, there’s no point in dawdling; time to finish off what he and Nephrite started. Kunzite steps forward, his cape flaring in the hot wind as he strides forth, but not before Nephrite grabs him by the arm and yanks him backwards.

Kunzite whips around, an expression of fury carved into his face.

“Nephrite, do you not understand what we’re doing here?! The youma is-“

“The youma is negligible compared to the damage you caused! You obliterated an oil tanker, and killed-“

Nephrite stumbles backwards as Kunzite wrench’s the fellow teenagers grip free from his arm before fixing him with a glare.

“I didn’t kill anybody. However, I am performing the duties given to me, unlike a certain rebellious second-in-command.”

A look of sheer disgust sweeps across Nephrite’s face.

“So you’re gonna pull rank just because you’re too scared to look at the truth? Running away, as always…”

“What petty insults. Hurl your words, but know that they won’t affect my judgement. I’ve made decisions like this for the protection of Terra before.”

Nephrite’s lips turn upwards in a greasy smirk.

“Big talk coming from the man who was fucking Venus while the rest of us were-”

Kunzite lets out a roar and charges Nephrite, who promptly wallops him in the face with his right fist. Kunzite reels backs, a throbbing pain zinging through his nose, and he becomes acutely aware of the blood dripping out of it onto his uniform. He levels a glare at Nephrite from above the hand clutching his face, who in return raises an eyebrow.

They ready themselves, and-

Something shifts in the corner of Kunzite’s eye.

He’s quite sure that Nephrite sees it too; his attention flickers towards the left side of the highway before returning to Kunzite. The tension between them dissipates as they share an understanding look, but not all of it. The potential threat is far more important than… whatever nonsense just happened.

“I’ll deal with you later.” Kunzite hisses through his teeth, and Nephrite merely rolls his eyes. What insolence!

Both of them turn their attention to the interruption. Through the oily haze and smoke, Kunzite can see two shapes, one small and shuddering and the other large and prone, hunched over against the shattered wreckage of a Honda, and Kunzite recognizes the latter as what was formerly the youma they were hunting based on the color of the body.

At least they’ll have some good news to report to the Queen.

Kunzite starts to creep forward, and Nephrite decides to finally live up to his namesake of ¨Wiseman¨ by following in his lead. As they shuffle towards the car and further away from the smoldering wreck, a muffled cry reaches Kunzite’s ears, and the hairs on the back of his arms stand up as he takes in the scene in front of him.

There’s a little girl, no older than seven-years old, sobbing as she huddles against the hood of the flipped vehicle. Blood drips down her forehead out of a gash and onto her clasped hands before mixing with a strange powdery substance that Kunzite can only assume originates from the prone form of the youma they’ve been chasing as it lies on the concrete in front of them.

She (At least that’s what Kunzite thinks that’s what it’s decided to make itself.) has quite obviously wounded, based upon how her green dress has been burnt to naught but ash and the terrible scorch marks carved into her flesh. That same dusty substance lining the girl’s hands is pouring out of the pustual burns like sand out of a ragdoll, mixing in with the youma’s strands of taffy-pink pigtails and the glass shattered around them.

He and Nephrite weren’t able to land an attack that would’ve caused such injuries, so… who did?

“Nephrite, take care of the youma. You know what to do.”

Seeing that he’s in no mood to argue, Nephrite merely sighs and draws his sword before clutching the youma’s throat and hefting her in the air. Her glassy eyes regain focus, and she stares down at Kunzite wide-eyed. 

“You’re- You’re-” She manages to squeak out before Nephrite stabs her through the torso and drops her to the ground. The youma lets out a squawk of agony as she slowly begins to turn to dust, before finally muttering something under her breath that Kunzite barely catches;

_“Sorry, Mnemosyne…” ___

____

It sounds like a name, but he’s not sure that he heard that correctly. Oh well, he’ll ask Nephrite about it later, since there’s something far more pressing to attend to. Kunzite turns to face the child, and paints what is hopefully a warm smile onto his face. She shrinks back instinctively, and Kunzite kneels down to ground. He probably seems a bit intimidating, so getting on her level should probably help assuage her fears. 

“Fear not, little one. We are not here to hurt you, only this creature, but you appear to have handled them on your own.” 

Nephrite let’s out a snort, and there’s no doubt that he’s very impressed with Kunzite’s performance seeing as they brutally executed that monster just mere moments before this conversation.

“Can you tell us what happened?”

The little girl, having seemingly found a sufficient amount of trust in them, sniffles before murmuring weakly;

“Mama and Papa… they won’t wake up…”

Dammit… if her parents didn't die from the force of the car crash, they were almost certainly killed by the youma as it rampaged across the road. Another family shattered by the forces of darkness. He's seen so many things like things happen, ever since he was a young squire fighting in the Unification Wars, and at this point… it's just another part of Kunzite´s life. It doesn't really matter to him.

But it does to the girl in front of him.

“I am sorry, child… but your parents are gone.”

Her eyes widen, and silver tears begin to trickle out of the corners of her eyes as she curls into herself, heavy sobs wracking her body. It's an almost… familiar scene, two of the Shitennou standing motionless in front of a crying child, in more ways than one. From what he remembers, Zoisite acted the same way when he and Nephrite first found him during the Northern Campaign.

Speaking of…

If this child is indeed truly responsible for the slaying of this creature… then she would have to be a magic-user of some sort, whose powers were awoken by witnessing the death of her parents. They aren’t too common nowadays, and she’s the only one he's seen besides Nephrite and Jadeite ever since he retook the post of Southern King.

(Just another thing that’s changed.)

If she doesn’t have someone to teach her how to properly use the magic, she’ll be hunted to the ends of Terra by youma and other unspeakable creatures. In fact, that was most likely the reason she was attacked by the youma today. 

She’s in need of a teacher, and the ranks of Terra have been thinned to a mere thirty-eight soldiers, with only four mages among their ranks (technically three, given Zoisite’s absence).

Kunzite spots a solution here.

“Don’t fret, little one. We are here for you.”

He tears a piece of fabric from the youma’s green dress before moving closer to the girl, who scuttles backwards against the car fearfully. She still does not trust them… hopefully this gesture shall prove sufficient.

Kunzite gently wraps the cloth around her head, stemming the bleeding and causing the girl’s stuttering breaths to even out.

“What’s your name, child?”

“...Usagi.”

-

Hmm.

Now this is quite a strange situation.

Nephrite isn’t one to question orders (when they’re reasonable, of course) but Kunzite’s actions… are out-of-character.

The Southern King is a hard man to read in general. Nephrite’s only gotten good at reading his moods after years of serving as both the man’s second-in-command and… acquaintance.

(Can they really call each other brothers anymore, let alone friends?)

Kunzite’s stern, cold and dedicated to their work. Nephrite takes his job seriously too, of course, but the Grand Turk takes it to another level entirely. Always working, always patrolling and always willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals.

That apparently includes the slaughter of innocents, too.

Nephrite’s no fool. He knows the price of conflict, he enjoys the thrill of a fight but he is not reckless. That youma could’ve easily been dispatched without destroying a highway and killing those people, and a family at that. It was merely one youma, what was the harm it could do?

And now this stray.

Nephrite looks at the girl out of the corner of his eye. She’s fast asleep, swaddled in Kunzite’s cape as the older teen cradles her in his arms, shielding her from the harsh arctic winds.

That’s the most baffling part; stone-hearted Kunzite, basically adopting an orphan. How does someone like Kunzite’s mood suddenly flip on a dime? First he’s in a bloodlust (that might’ve been Nephrite’s fault by jabbing at old wounds, though), then he’s all friendly to an orphan whose parents were killed not five minutes earlier? 

Suspicious.

Though, this entire clusterfuck could turn out to be profitable. That youma was no easy foe, and the two of them, two of the Shitennou, weren’t able to finish off. They landed a few blows, sure, but this girl is the one who did the killing blow.

Hmm.

A natural-born magic user, ripe for the taking… Perhaps Kunzite was correct in taking this girl with them. There’s a reason that the Millennians balked at facing Zoisite’s hellfire or Kunzite’s purifying rays of light. 

It’s because they were given such a gift at birth, and had the resources to master their control over such talents.

What a bunch of lucky bastards. He and Jadeite had to learn everything on their own as they voyaged out of the uncharted West and bloody, splintered East respectively, and now their powers are semi-unusable due to how fucked up the planet is.

(The night sky is empty; the lights of the heavens have dimmed inexplicably. He has gone blind, and become fearful of the sudden unknown, for how can the Wiseman serve his Kingdom if he cannot see the trials to come?)

But the girl isn’t the only useful gain from today, too.

Nephrite examines the pink, diamond-shaped crystal sitting in the palm of his hand. It’s the only remnant left of the youma, plucked from the pile of dust and clothes that formerly was the creature. It’s an entirely new specimen, unlike any of the samples of the youma he’d taken from mop-up operations or what he’d had during the Golden Kingdom.

From what he can tell about it using his basic senses (a glorified word meaning that he just touched it), the crystal radiates a sort of… energy, powerful and gleaming. Perhaps it’s a manifestation of all the energy it’s taken, or… maybe even the representation of a soul.

Hah! As if a youma, merely a shadow with energy running through it, could ever develop a soul.

It’ll prove to be an interesting mystery for Nephrite to solve, even though there’s already so many others, like who this girl is and why Zirconia has abandoned her post. It’s nothing to sweat, though.

They have all the time in the world to complete their goals.

Suddenly, the storm clears, and the slab-like, ornate stone doors of D-Point appear in front of them. Carved into a frozen mountainside, the entrance to the Terran Enclave’s main base of towers above the three of them.

Nephrite steps forward and touches the doors, energy sloughing off of his fingers as his seal* forms across the glassy surface. After a moment, the sheet of ice blanketing the surface cracks, and the gate creaks open, revealing the dimly lit hallways that spiral deeper into the earth.

They walk for what seems like ages, their jack-boots clicking loudly against the stone floor. Why didn’t they just teleport in instead of taking the main entrance? Right, the kid. It’d probably be better if she got introduced to the idea of teleport when she’s maybe a few years older and isn’t in a trauma-induced coma.

Still, Nephrite still wishes they would have teleported. It’d cut down hours of walking time, and they wouldn’t have Jadeite watching them like a hawk from his hidden cameras.

Hell, the little creep is probably watching them right now.

-

Jadeite leans back in his plush, leather office chair as he steeples his fingers and examines the wall of neon-green CRT monitors in front of him. The security monitors display a view of almost every hallway and room in D-Point, save for the Shitennou’s quarters, Nephrite’s lab and the lower tunnels where the Throne Room is located.

And there’s someone entering through the main entrance. Kunzite and Nephrite, from the looks of it.

It’s the first time Jadeite’s seen them since they recruited him. 

Just another facet of (currently) being the youngest member of the Shitennou; he gets stuck with all the paperwork and security while the rest of them get to galavant across the world chasing down fugitives and shadows. 

“Sorry, Jadeite. Maybe when you’re older.”

They always gave him that excuse, even way back when! Though, it’s a bit hard for them to figure out when “way back when” actually was, since they’re currently stuck in these… youthful forms like an ill fitting suit and the memories of the past are faded, like looking at a grainy photograph.

If only Zoisite were here. Then Jadeite could have someone to pull rank on. 

Oh well. It’s probably better to not think about stuff like that when the future is still so wide open. But in the meantime… he’ll probably go bug Kunzite and Nephrite. There’s not a whole lot happening right now, and it’s always fun to watch them and the Queen get mad at each other.

Jadeite exits the security office, the slam of the wooden door echoing through the cool hallways before striding forwards into the depths of D-Point. This is one of the reasons he preferred living in Japan; it was always warmer there, obviously, and the rainy, hot nights of summer were always a favorite of his.

Eventually, Jadeite reaches the Throne Room; the seat of Terra’s (nonexistent) power. It’s emerald-green doors are chipped and dull in the sickly green light emanating from the torches ensconced in the walls. It’s fitting, in a way. Just like the door, Terra has been chipped away at and sullied, only holding control over an empty missile bunker rather than the entire Sol System.

Fret not, humankind. Your salvation is at hand.

He nudges the doors open slightly, and-

They give way, slamming against the stone walls loudly.

Oops.  
“Jadeite. How wonderful of you to join us.”

The Queen’s voice slithers venomously across his ears, and Jadeite can feel a chill run down his spine as all three of them stare at him from across the long expanse of marble. Kunzite in particular looks quite annoyed, and seems to be sporting… a broken nose?

“Do not forget your manners, Eastern King. Step forwards.”

Shit… better not make her angry. It’s good to keep her temper cool, lest he gets turned put to sleep for all eternity. Jadeite enters the room, and gets a glimpse of something being held in Kunzite’s arms.

“...As I was saying, my Queen… the rouge Youma was hunted down, and destroyed.”

“But not without collateral-” Nephrite cuts in, and Kunzite shoots him a withering glare, which promptly shuts the Western King up.

“Indeed, Nephrite is correct in his assessment that… some damage was caused in our operation, but that is of no consequence compared to the prize we have returned with.”

What…? They came back with something? 

The Queen shares Jadeite’s interest, her fiery-orange eyes narrowing as she leans forward to get a close look at the bundle cradled in Kunzite’s arms. He himself does the same, standing on the tips of his toes to peer over Nephrite’s shoulder.

It’s a blonde little girl, battered and bloodied, sleeping in the Southern King’s arms. 

_(She can’t be any older than his sister.) ___

____

“During our investigation, we happened upon a child whose parents had been killed mere moments before by the youma… who was dead in front of her when we arrived.”

Silence.

“You mean to say that this child… destroyed such a creature?”

“We could not destroy such a creature without attracting attention from the human authorities physically or without attracting attention from human authorities ourselves, but this child appears to have awakened latent magical abilities. Our ranks are decimated, so I thought it prudent to take her with us so that she may eventually join us.”

The Queen, for once, appears to be surprised rather than irritated or dismissive. She leans back in her throne, tenting her fingers across the swirling crystal orb sitting in front of her and closing her eyes. 

“I applaud your judgement, Kunzite…” Her eyes snap open, once again narrow and glaring deeply into the child with a furious look that could also be interpreted as… glee?

“But tell me… what magical lineage does she belong to?”

There’s a beat of silence before Nephrite steps forward, taking the reins of the conversation. He’s always been better at identifying phenomena than any of them. They didn’t call him The Wiseman for nothing, after all.

“She doesn’t appear to have any, your Highness. It was unlike any sort of magic that belonged to any of the noble houses or the esoteric schools of astral and blood, instead having something that looked like… silver tears, perhaps?”

The room suddenly cools to a biting, freezing chill and The Queen smirks before standing up from her throne.

Oh shit.

“My, my… I couldn’t have thought that this was how it would play out. That she would be brought before me, in the form of a helpless brat.” The Queen spits that last word out venomously, and shadows creep out of the corners of the vast expanse, darkening the room so quickly there’s nary anything save for The Queen’s smoldering orange eyes.

“Goodbye, Princess Serenity.”

What the hell does that even-

Out of the radiant darkness opens a gaping maw with an endless inferno raging inside, ready to swallow them all whole. The girl, scared awake by the creature looming in front of them, let’s out a wail of terror, and Beryl lets out a shriek-like cackle, high-pitched and joyous.

Suddenly, a silver beam of light, before-

everything

goes 

dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kunzite = 22 in 1994, 15 in 1987.  
> Nephrite = 21 in 1994, 14 in 1987.  
> Jadeite = 19 in 1994, 11 in 1987.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the wonderful comments that were left on the last chapter. The next chapter probably won't take as long as this one did, and you can harass me if I don't keep that promise.

“Toujima!”

Usagi groans before cracking open an eye, Léon’s loud yells breaking her from deep slumber. Golden rays of sunshine pour through the cracks of the window blinds, causing her to squint before she slams her eyes shut again and rolls back over.

It’s too early for this… why can’t they just have normal sleep schedules?

The muffled argument spills through the walls, Toujima muttering snarky responses to Max’s increasingly frustrated and exasperated questions. It sounds like he washed his laundry on Hot again; something that Max takes particular offense to, for some reason.

(She might have washed her clothes on Hot once or twice without telling him.)

Ugh. It doesn’t look like they're going to stop ranting at each other any time soon, so she might as well get up. Why did Toujima have to screw up so bad on her day off? Usagi rolls out of bed and onto the hardwood floor with an audible thud, and their voices stop for a moment. Oh, so they could only realize how much of a racket they were making after she got out of bed?! 

Stepping over the various clutter sitting on her floor (She should really finish those English papers before Max gets mad at her), Usagi slightly cracks open her door, peering through the opening with her left eye. 

All clear… good. There’s no telling when Léon will decide to be a jackass and lunge out of the shadows at her. “Teaching her the value of vigilance”, her ass. He just enjoys being an odious toad who gets his kicks from scaring poor little girls!

Stepping out of her room, Usagi treads down the hallway to the kitchen. The linoleum-floored area is empty, save for the ever growing mountain of dirty dishes occupying the kitchen sink and a half-filled bottle of pineapple Fanta sitting on the faux-marble of the counter.

Huh. That’s strange. Her strawberry-blonde sibling is usually up by now, attempting to cook Belgian Waffles using free-hand flame magic. It’s not usually a successful venture, with the fire alarm going off after Léon chars the batter to a crisp. Why he doesn’t shell out for a regular waffle iron, Usagi doesn’t know. Maybe it’s because he’s-

The door to Toujima’s room slams against the wall, and Max skulks out looking really mad. His cheeks are a shade that matches his burgundy-colored hair. Her older brother lets out a huff before rubbing the bridge of his nose and muttering;

“Goddammit!”

“Did he wash his clothes on Hot again?” Usagi asks innocently, and Max merely gives her an annoyed side eye. Dammit, he’s always so good at sensing her presence! She can get the drop on the other two, but never him! 

“Yeah, he did, and that thick-headed fuckup doesn’t seem to realize that a five-bedroom apartment in the middle of Houston is already expensive enough already without paying for heating oil!”

“I heard that!” Toujima’s voice crows from the other room, and Max wrenches the door shut with a resounding bang.

Wow. She doesn’t really know the details of what (or how) Max and Kaden pay for their home, but it must be… well, a lot if Max gets this bent out of shape about it. But they’ve also been here for years without any problems, so he could also just be being a crotchety old man about the entire thing.

Speaking of people being crotchety…

“Oh yeah! That reminds me! Where’s Léon?” Max’s eyebrows raise up from his omni-present pair of aviator sunglasses as he leans against the doorframe.

“They didn’t tell you that they were going to London?”

“What?! They’re in Europe?!”

“Yeah. Just some unexpected stuff came up on Kaden’s end, and he needed someone to come with him to help sort it all out.”

Ah, yes. The good old “just some family business” excuse. Slang for “We don’t want to include you in what’s really going on”. Usagi knows that there’s more to the five of them than just “we’re normal people that just happen to have fantastic powers”, and she wants to know what!

(The image of grey overcoats permeates her dreams.)

“Since it’s gonna be pretty quiet without them setting the kitchen on fire or stomping around after midnight, you wanna’ try training with me when I get home from work?”

-

“Hmm.”

Léon scans the interior of London’s Heathrow Airport, absorbing the scene unfolding around him. It’s only been about four years since he left his native Belgium, but it feels like it’s been eons since he was last in Europe. It’s probably just the jet-lag afflicting him, since going from the Southwest USA to Europe is a pretty big jump.

(Or it could be that the lines separating Léon and Zoisite from one another are finally beginning to blur.)

“Is something troubling you, Léon?” Kaden inquires as he stares at Léon out of the corner of his eye, the silver in them glinting in the harsh fluorescent light.

“No, not really… actually, yeah, there is something eating at me. Why did you drag me along to Europe with you? You still haven’t told me anything besides for ‘Léon. Pack your bags. We ride at dawn.” Léon says to Kaden in his best “Terminator” impression, which promptly gets an exasperated sigh out of the elder Shitennou. At least he’s warmed up somewhat.

“We’re here in London because Jade- Toujima spotted some information about strange happenings on his internet forums, and since we are the guardians of Terra, we must investigate accordingly.”

“Since the two of us have taken the time to actually look into this, I’m assuming that it’s something more than the normal meaningless drivel spouted by such sources?” The two of them begin to stride forward towards the main exit.

“Indeed. Within the past year, there have been… unexplainable incidents occurring within the city. Tales of monsters and crime scenes covered in police tape...

“So we’re just on cleanup duty, then?”

“Not quite. One of the stranger aspects is that it appears that these incidents spiked dramatically and then halted completely… which is why I suspect there to be something more to this.” Kaden frowns, the scars lining his chin twisting along with them, and Léon’s eyes widen.

“Has she…?”

“Hopefully not. That is why you, one of Elysian’s black hands, are here to sniff out whatever information that can aid us.”

-

“Let’s start with the basics.”

Usagi breathes in, inhaling the warm, evening air into her lungs and... uh, oh no-

“Achoo!” She sneezes, the sound echoing loudly across the Texan twilight and causing a flock of gulls to suddenly erupt from a rooftop over in fear. Max merely opens his eyes, and suddenly looks really tired. Not like the yawning kind, but the “why am I here” kind. Usagi thinks there’s a word for that feeling, but she doesn’t know what.

“Ah… sorry.” Max just sort of… grunts in response, so she’ll take that as an okay. He always gets so moody and spooky whenever he meditates. Sitting cross-legged across from her on the concrete roof, he closes his eyes and clasps his hands.

“Breathe in deeply, and try to imagine every speck of energy within your body flowing towards your heart.”

A warm feeling pulses through Usagi’s body as she imagines her energy flowing to her center, like waves crashing upon a seashore.

Eventually, the warmth turns into an overpowering boil, one that threatens to burn her alive, and Usagi falls forward onto the concrete, gasping for breath. Max merely walks over and helps her up, having seen this happen many times during their training.

“Dammit! Why can’t I do anything?!” She hisses, and Max just looks at Usagi like he always does.

“Your magic is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before; it’s likely that you aren’t connected to the Earth in the same way that we are.”

That know-it-all… she glares at him, and he merely raises an annoyed eyebrow.

“What? You asked why, and I gave you the most probable answer.”

“Yeah, but you don’t need to rub it in!” Max’s gaze softens into a level stare, and he lets out a sigh. 

“You’ll grow into your powers eventually. It just takes time.”

“Easy for you to say, smarty-pants! I’d like to see you try being fourteen and the dumb little sister of the family!” Nephrite just smirks and chuckles softly under his breath. 

“It is easy for me to say, because I went through basically everything that you’re dealing with right now. You’re lucky that you even have someone willing to teach you.”

Huh? Max never talks about what came before without being all cryptic and spooky about it, so…

“How’d you learn, then?”

“I mostly just screwed around with magic, experimenting with whatever was available until I met Kaden and… Elias.” Max’s mood visibly darkens, and Usagi feels like he’s started staring through her rather than at her.

“Who’s… Elias?” Usagi tentatively asks. She probably shouldn’t ask that since it’s probably something Max doesn’t want to talk about, but this could be the only opportunity to get new information about what her brother’s did before… everything, really. 

Her query breaks Max out of his stupor, and he looks at her with his normal easy-going expression on his face… although, he still looks a tiny-bit disturbed, going from the small frown adorning his face.

“Just a… comrade of ours. We had a falling out over some choices that he made that we didn’t agree with, so we cut ties.” Max stands up before starting for the rooftop door that leads to the staircase, putting an abrupt end to her line of questioning.

“I’m going to go start dinner. If you’re gonna be productive, go work on your English homework. I know you haven’t done it, based on the way you’re avoiding staying in your room.”

Dammit!

-

Toujima leans back in his plush, leather office chair, his spine popping and cracking as he stretches out. God, he should get out more often. It’s not like there’s anything he can do, though, besides for work as the Golden Tiki’s fry-cook.

In front of him, the row of monitors displays a menagerie of Internet forums, each with a similar purpose; the discussion of paranormal phenomena. Most of it is pure fiction, just stories created by bored writers, but sometimes there’s a concerning story or two… like there have been about the incidents occuring in England during the past year. 

Looks like Nephrite’s paranoia is starting to pay off. He probably judged the man’s zealous behavior a bit too harshly beforehand.

The incidents started last year, in the summer of 1993. He hadn’t worked enough hours to pay for an IBM PC and the newspapers don’t print anything but stocks and politics, so that’s why Kunzite and Zoisite are galavanting off to London now rather than eleven months ago to make sure that things didn’t get destroyed too badly.

It’s not as if there was any real damage, though; the “reports” (mostly just a few eyewitness accounts and I-heard-it-from-my-cousin-who-heard-it-from type stories) described “horrifying abomintations that defied the imagination”. Something to be concerned about, sure, but Toujima wagers that it’s just someone with an untrained mind looking at a few run-of-the-mill youma. Nothing that Terra’s own Grand Turk and Black Hand can’t easily expunge like grease off a dinner plate. 

Unless, of course, it’s not just a stray youma, but that’s an unlikely possibility. Beryl wouldn’t be stupid enough to escelate into full-scale conflict with them when they crippled her forces by defecting seven-years ago, and subterfuge is out of the question based on how much of an attention-hog she is. She was politician; it’s what they do. Toujima knows this for a fact because he, or at least Jadeite, was also one of those silver-tongued bastards.

He scrolls throught the forum posts absentmindedly, skimming over the unorganized topics with glazed eyes. There’s nothing contained within these pages that he hasn’t already read, save for-

Something new.

And from his home country.

After clicking on the page, Toujima leans forward, sctuinizing the flickering, neon kanji dancing on screen while steepling his fingers. It’s been awhile since he’s read his native language, so it takes him a minute to realize what it means, but when he does…

What the hell is a “Sailor Senshi”?

-

“What the hell is a ‘Sailor V’?” Léon asks the bartender. while raising an eyebrow, who promptly slides his Coke over to him while shaking his bald head. He and Kaden have hardly been in London for a day they’re already hearing about strange shit.

“It’s some tall-tale the lads and lasses whispher to each other that started because of all the robberies and nonsense happening up-town. Apparently there’s a pretty lady that’ll come save you from the ghosts and ghouls that come out at night. The Bobbies’* made sure that all of it was really just some ruffians causing mischief, though, so you lads don’t have nothin’ to worry about.” The bartender explains through his thick accent while polishing a glass, and Léon looks into his drink pensively.

When you’ve backstabbed and blackmailed your way into power, you learn never to discount a piece of information, but a pretty guardian that fights for justice in the night? That’s… kind of laughable, and Léon’s starting to agree with Kaden’s assessment that there’s something more going on here.

“What’s she look like?” The bartender let’s out a hearty chuckle that reminds Léon of Neph- Maxfield.

“You boys aren’t seriously going to go looking for that witch, are you?”  
“No, I just want to know everything there is to know about London and it’s history!” Léon makes sure to lay the chipperness on thick, either to annoy or entertain the man into giving them information, and it seems to succeed going by the way the bartender leans forward on the countertop.

“She’s stopped showing up lately, so I don’t know if this is true, but they say that she has this huge head of blonde hair and a red domino mask. Honestly, I think that…” The sound of the bartender’s voice fades into the background as Léon stares at Kaden out of the corner of his eye with suspicion.

The leader of the Shitennou is staring off into space blankly, his gin-and-tonic clutched in the grasp of his hand so tightly it looks as if the glass is about to shatter. Léon leans over, about to shake him out of his funk when the door open with a chime.

“Oh… I didn’t expect to see you traitors here…!”

-

The doorbell rings, and Max looks away from the pot of boiling spaghetti with a glare. What is it now? They don’t usually get deliveries and the landlord keeps to himself mostly, so it’s probably the neighbors coming to rant at him again for something Zoisite did. Whatever. He’s in the middle of cooking dinner for his circus-troupe of a family, so he not going to deal with it. 

Max turns back to the stove when the doorbell rings again, faster and furious than it was before. Fine, if those old fogies next door want to duke it out here, then he’ll happily oblige!

Max throws the oven mitts down on the kitchen table and speedwalks to the door-

Which promptly comes flying off it’s hinges towards him with a thunderous bang. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nephrite can't ever catch a break, huh.
> 
> Since I don't think I'll be mentioning it ever, here are The Boy's civilian names/false identities.
> 
> Kunzite = Kaden Karaman  
> Nephrite = Maxfield Stanton  
> Zoisite = Leon Bernadotte  
> Jadeite = Toujima


	3. Chapter 3

Usagi can only watch in terror as the front door sails through the air towards Max, who barely rolls out of the way before the wooden slab lands on the linoleum floor with a resounding bang, shaking what feels like the entire building. There’s a beat of silence, heavy with tension and shock, before a low, raspy growl emanates from the hallway and the ominous figure looming in the darkness steps forward.

It looks like a massive crab, or armadillo or _something like that _, towering over her by at least another four feet. The crimson-plated beast steps under the doorframe, glaring daggers at her.__

___“By the Stars…” _Max hisses as he regains his balance, and the monster leaps across the room in a single bound, only to promptly have the small end table sitting behind the couch whipped into their face. The wooden piece of furniture shatters into splinters upon contact, stunning the Crab-Man and giving Max the opportunity to look at Usagi and yell;__ _ _

_____“IN MY CLOSET! GO-“ ____ _ _ _

______His sentence cuts off as Crab-Man sweeps his arm across the kitchen, and the last thing Usagi sees before running around the hallway corner is Max bending over backwards to dodge the blow. They’ve told her to run and hide if something like this happened but… she better do what he says!_ _ _ _ _ _

______She shoves open the solid wood door to Max’s room, rushing inside as the sound of roaring emanates from the other room. Her older brother's room is mostly clean, save for a cluttered desk, an unmade bed and his blue suit-jacket hanging off the closet door._ _ _ _ _ _

______Usagi tears through the closet, throwing various clothes and a few boxes off of the pile of miscellaneous junk sitting in the back _(a stack of books, Kaden’s missing door handle and a pink, diamond shaped crystal) _before finally coming across a long, pole-shaped object covered by a swath of silver-silk attached to gray cloth.___ _ _ _ _ _

_________(For some reason, the word “Nephrite” comes to mind when she looks at it.) ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She throws the cloth to the floor, revealing…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________A fire-axe. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I’m not sure what you’re _implying _.” Kaden spits the word at the person with such venom that Léon can’t help the shiver that runs down his spine. The raven-haired business-woman standing in the doorway merely smirks, and Léon’s hand drifts towards his belt instinctively.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“We thought you had all frozen to death in the blizzard after the _fiasco _with that terrible little girl. I was supposed to find out what happened to Danburite and his ilk, but this… _is even better _.”_____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Her eyes morph into cat-like slits, and the corners of her lips turn upwards into a slimy smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________“Maybe Her Majesty will even promote me to-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The youma’s rambling is cut short after Léon flings his glass of Coke into her face at a speed that would make the fastest pitchers in the world proud. It shatters upon impact, carving thin lacerations into the youma’s pale flesh that drip a sickly-green fluid and causing her to let out a horrendous wail._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________This causes Léon to promptly be hoisted by the collar of his jacket from behind and flung backwards over the bartender’s shoulder through the swinging kitchen doors. One minute he’s glaring at the youma and then next Léon’s staring into the fluorescent ceiling lights while lying flat on his back after landing on a set of burners._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Bright colors swirl in a haze across Léon’s vision as he struggles to understand what just happened before a blurry shape suddenly appears, and he barely rolls off the top of the oven before the appliance shatters into parts and screws as the full weight of the bartender slams down onto it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Léon thumbs at the cut adorning his left arm as the crimson tinge of blood slowly begins to seep out of the wound. Heh… he’s losing his touch if such a fat bastard was able to get the drop in him. The youma let’s out a throaty growl, and Léon’s attention returns to the bartender._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________The man’s flesh has become a shade of ugly purple, with bright-yellow holes for eyes, and Léon finds himself struck by the memory of Max tinkering away in his dimly-lit lab, creating puppets out of strange materials and molding flesh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________Huh… what a _strange _predicament.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Hopefully this thing is just a youma, and not some shambling husk that Beryl dug up and desecrated. He’d rather not destroy somebody's beloved grandfather or husband._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________There’s only one way to find out, though, and Léon’s always been a cut above the rest when it comes to swordplay._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________The youma lunges forward, but recoils in pain with a hideous gurgle as Léon slashes across the eyes with the hooked, golden blade he keeps within his jacket pocket. With a sound that resembles the cutting of fabric, the puce-shaded flesh and yellow orbs that make up the youma’s face slide away in a shower of gore and a pitch-colored, tar-like substance._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________It’s the same type of goo that Léon first saw after the other four found him in the slums of Paris for the first time, when they had been patching up their wounds. The oil had seeped out of the red-raw, crispy tangle of muscle that was Kaden’s face and the stump where Max’s arm had been blown off, like a sickness being excised from their flesh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Léon glares at the burbling lump of flesh while considering his options. His pocket-kukri won’t be enough to take down this leather-hided abomination, seeing as it’s flesh has begun to meld and stitch together at an alarming rate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Huh… he preferred not to use his inherent talents, seeing as whenever he does something always ends up a smoldering pile of ash, but considering that circumstances, that might be a good thing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Here’s to hoping that the building doesn’t start on fire._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Léon raises his hand, green sparks crackling across his fingertips, and…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________________“Zoi!” ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________Shit… can that kid take any _longer?! _Usagi should’ve found that piece of junk by now!___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________Toujima’s blade bounces off the monster’s chitin with a clang, sparks flying as it roars and grabs wildly for him and Max. It’s just their luck that Kaden and Léon had to be out of the house this weekend! Those haughty bastards could’ve taken care of this intruder minutes ago!_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________The insecticide creature bellows before charging Max, who’s back is facing the kitchen counter. Fortunately for them, this thing is more brawn than brains, and Max ducks out of the way at the last second. The youma smashes into the set of cabinets, shattering the wood boxes into tiny splinters and cracking the marble in half before reeling backwards in a daze._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________It’s the perfect opportunity for Max, who slashes downwards with his fire axe into the youma’s exposed elbow joint._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________With a shower of obsidian-shades dust not too dissimilar from sand, the youma’s left arm dissolved into a pile on the floor. A shriek of pain echoes through the apartment, and the youma reels backwards before backhanding Max with it’s good arm in a rage._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________The Western King promptly goes flying towards the wall and smashes into the beige surface with a sickening crack as some of his bones _definitely _shatter, leaving an humongous indent in the drywall and Max in an unconscious heap on the floor.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________The youma turns to him with a toothy grin, and Toujima realizes it’s all up to him now. If Max couldn’t take down this beast, how is he going to be able to? Frontline combat was never his forte… but’s it all Toujima really has left at this point._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________If he’s to face this beast alone, the least he can do to turn this situation to his advantage is to bring the fight somewhere more _spacious _.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________So Toujima turns tail and runs into the hallway. The beast roars loudly, infuriated by his apparent cowardice as it chases him up the staircase. Worry not, beast! You’ll have your fight soon enough._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________The metal door to the rooftop slams open against the concrete frame it’s attached to, and Toujima looks out at the glittering skyscrapers dotting Houston’s purple-orange skyline. Hopefully this works, and if it doesn’t, than-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________The youma’s claws barely graze his left side as Toujima jumps out of the way, spraying a few crimson droplets of blood across the pebbles. Hmm… _perfect _.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________It took the bait. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________The crimson liquid dissolves middair, turning into steam as the visage of Toujima blows away in a flutter of leaves. The youma bares its teeth as it scans the rooftop for the real Toujima, who hopefully doesn’t appear to the beast._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________His illusions won’t last long, so Toujima has to do this _now _.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________The wind howls in his ears, and-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Hellfire pours out the kitchen, producing a powerful, hot shockwave with enough force to blast Kaden and Balm, as that green-skinned harlot has dubbed herself, out through the front window in a shower of glass._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Kaden’s head swirls as he lies face down on the concrete in a daze before barely standing to his feet a moment before Balm does. The lizard-like abomination hisses at him before a shower of tarot cars shoot out of her sleeves towards him. Most of them he dodges quite easily, but some graze his arm and cheek, slicing a thin gash into the surface of his skin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Knives, huh? So that’s how she wants to play this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________The sound of static crackling buzzes through the air as a purple ball of light crackles in Kaden’s hand, mist sloughing off the surface of it. Balm’s eyes widen merely a moment before he let’s the beam fly true._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Try parrying this, you infernal creature._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Car alarms wail as the beam flies forwards, causing a blinding flash of light to explode on the street, and Kaden looks towards Balm after a moment of silence._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Or at least what’s left of her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________The wrinkly, lizard-like woman glares at him with one good eye, as the rest of her face has been vaporized into a fine dust. Balm’s quite hardy, considering that she survived that attack._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Kaden strides forward, pulling energy to the palm of his hand while preparing for another strike. There’s no way that this paltry beast can take another one of his hits and at closer range, so-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________A twisting spear of dark grey hair spine forward from the crown of Balm’s head, spinning towards Kaden’s chest, and-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________The monster’s claw pierces through Toujima’s chest just as Usagi throws open the door to the roof._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________An ichor, the shade of glittering, blue sapphires, drips down the back of Toujima’s t-shirt, staining the concrete with it’s glossy, viscous appearance. The monster pulls back it’s claw from within her brother’s rib cage, and Toujima drops to the pavement, limp and glassy eyed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Oh… no…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________There’s a howling in Usagi’s ears as she stares at the twisted form in front of her, like an entire winter blizzard or a thunderstorm just beyond the horizon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________Her _parents. _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________Her _brothers. _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________________________________(Him.) ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________________________These things have taken _everything _from her.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________Usagi can barely feel the hot tears streaming down her face as she yells, loud and echoing over through the twilight horizon, before whipping one of her hands forward instinctively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________A pale beam, like the milk-light of the moon, erupts from the palm of Usagi’s hand, explodes from beneath her fingertips, jetting forward and hitting that terrible, terrible beast square in the chest._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________It pierced through the chitin, erupting out the other side and flying forth into the orange glow of the setting sun. There’s a beat of silence as the monster looks at the gaping hole in chest before crumbling into a cloud of dust that instantly blows away in the breeze._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________She… did it. That thing has finally been… punished._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________Usagi drops to her knees, hunching over Toujima as she let’s the full force of her emotions flood outwards. Those salty, silvery tears drip down her cheeks and into Toujima’s body, and there’s nary a sound except for her sobs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________They’re… why… them..._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________________________________________“Wow, I didn’t expect that you would- _oh shit.” _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________________________________That’s… _Toujima’s voice! _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________The body and blood pooling around it erupt into a cloud of smoldering blue flames, and through the haze of smoke Usagi can see Toujima standing on the other side. She leaps forwards and hugs him tightly, nearly knocking both of them over._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Christ, dial it back a bit! I didn’t mean for-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“I thought you were dead! Are you really gonna blame me for what I’m doing right now?!” Toujima’s expression softens, and he just rubs the back of his head sheepishly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Right, sorry. I forgot that my magic tricks tend to scare people when they see them for the first time.” Usagi looks back at where the fake-him has previously been, eyes wide as she examines the spot._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________(It… all feels unreal. Did that actually happen?)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Your… magic?” She asks, changing the conversation topic. She doesn’t want to think about what just happened, even if Toujima is still alive._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________(For some odd reason, there’s a sensation that she’s watched someone get stabbed before. It’s almost too much to handle without giving her a headache and an overwhelming feeling of sadness.)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Yeah. It basically makes people see things that aren’t there. I was counting on that thing getting caught up in one of the illusions so I could push him off the roof, but… you took pretty good care of that yourself.” Toujima’s eyes narrow, and Usagi feels a chill run down her spine._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“It’s just like seven years ago.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Seven years ago… her brother’s don’t talk much about what happened when they found her, but… Usagi knows that they took her after… that incident with her parents because of her magic._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Seven years ago?” Toujima just rubs the bridge of his nose and sighs._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“I suppose it would be better if I told you the whole truth. It’s a bit of a long story, but I can tell you as we clean up the mess that’s been made.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Oh, right… the kitchen._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Toujima sees the look on her face, and his eyes narrow._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Don’t think that you’re getting out of helping me out just because you saw me get hurt. Come, now.” After stumbling back into the apartment, Usagi spots Max lying on the ground next to the wall. She tries to run over to him, but Toujima stops her with his right arm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Just help me carry him into bed. He’ll be fine.” From the way Toujima glares at her, she must have an incredulous expression on her face. How the hell is putting him to bed going to help heal all the scratches on his skin? Ah, it’s probably one of those “things” that Toujima will vaguely explain._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________Usagi hefts Max upwards by the arms as Toujima grabs his legs and barely gets anywhere before her back starts to ache. Ow… just how heavy is this guy?! It takes a fair amount of minutes to finally transfer her comatose older brother into bed, at which point she and Toujima sit down on his bedroom floor to catch their breath. The silence is palpable as they both stare into Max’s closet, examining the various junk strewn around._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“So… you said you were gonna’ tell me what’s actually going on?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Ah, right. Where to begin…” Toujima looks at the grey-and-mustard-yellow uniform with a fond smile and taps his chin._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Long ago in distant lands, a group of four kings protected the Earth from the terrors that lurked just beyond the edge of human perception…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“-Smiting all of the darkness that stands in our way.” Kaden says while examining the smoldering cloud of hairs floating in front of him. Balm lets out a throaty growl, one that’s more a squeak than something threatening as a result of Kaden’s boot currently being placed upon her neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“You… swine! Why would the greatest of Her Majesty’s servant betray-”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“We were never anyone’s slaves, unlike you. Now… goodbye, foul beast. May you be consigned to the depths of hell, or perhaps your soul will just return back to whence you came.” Just as Kaden is about to swing the blade of energy downwards as to cleave Balm’s skull from her neck, the green-skinned witch lets out a chuckle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________________________________“Fool… you may kill as many of us as you can… but you can’t stop the _Dark Kingdom _from reclaiming the Earth.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It wouldn't be Sailor Moon without fight scenes. Speaking of which, I'm looking for reviews on how I write them, so if you have any grievances or comments leave a comment. Next chapter will definitely be more plot related rather than people getting gutted or thrown through walls.
> 
> (The specific youma that attacked were Akan and Balm.)


	4. Chapter 4

The ticking of the clock echoes in her ears, and Usagi chews on the end of pencil in frustration as her classmates silently scribble at the test sitting on the wooden desks in front of them.

Dammit, of course Mr. Peterson had to spring a test on them today! She’s been so busy with fixing everything broken in the apartment that she’s barely had any time to study! Well, it’s not as if studying could’ve helped anyway, since numbers have never really been Usagi’s strong suit.

The string of numbers float off the page, their inky black lines staring back menacingly at her. Ugh… linear equations are just the worst. Couldn’t they have just kept it simple instead of adding all these numbers to the mix? At least English keeps things simple and just adds fancy words when they want to get technical instead of completely flipping the script right in the middle of things!

After a fair bit of grinding her teeth in annoyance and panic, Usagi places her chicken-scratch covered paper onto Mr. Peterson’s desk before stepping out into the hallway just as the lunch bell rings. Ugh… hopefully her guess-work was on target this time.

Usagi wades through the crowd of people milling about the hallway, navigating towards the cafeteria while picking up on snippets of conversation from the various clumps of people standing in the middle of the hallway (don’t they know better than to stand in the middle of an intersection?!).

“...yeah… good stuff, my man… “

“...Weekend at Emily’s…”

_“...Sailor V movie…” ___

__Huh. There’s a Sailor V movie coming out? Even though she keeps up with Shonen Jump, Usagi doesn’t really know a whole lot about Sailor V. It’s supposed to be about a magical girl, so she was kinda’ interested in reading it before but not so much after… that “youma”, as Toujima called the crab-man, destroyed their apartment._ _

__Why read about a magical girl when you’re a real life one?_ _

__That’s what Usagi supposes she is now, after accepting Max’s offer last night. She still can’t believe that he woke up after getting thrown into a wall, but that’s just one of the many, many things Usagi’s finding out about her brother’s lately._ _

__She always suspected that there was something more the older she got, because magic isn’t something that just… shouldn’t exist, and yet it does in them, and in her, but this…_ _

__The whole situation seems totally out-of-this-world, because who would really believe that there was an ancient, magic kingdom on Earth a billion-years-ago that was ruled by her brother’s, who are apparently really old wizards?!_ _

__But there’s nothing that can disprove what’s happened to her… it’s a reasonable explanation for what happened to her parents and what almost happened to them just last weekend._ _

__Usagi never wants to see anything like that happen ever again, to her, to her brothers, to any of these people, so she said yes when Max asked if she wanted to be trained by them._ _

__It’s hard, being a real magical girl. You have to deal with those creatures attacking people for no reason and having space-samurais for older brothers. At least Sailor V is able to look sparkly and feminine while doing her job instead of crying over someone you thought was dead._ _

__Maybe they could be friends, if she really exists!_ _

__-_ _

__“I hereby declare the 12th Quorum of the Elysian Council… _open _.” Kunzite intones from the head of the table before sitting down next to Zoisite. After a fair bit of reconstruction, the living room that was so casually destroyed during Nephrite and Jadeite’s battle against their own youma has been somewhat restored to its old state. The cabinets have been replaced (they were looking to do that anyway) and the indentation in the wall where Nephrite was thrown has been patched with plaster.___ _

____It’s hardly Elysian’s grand marble forum, but it’ll have to do._ _ _ _

____“Wow… this is kind of nostalgic. The last time we met like this was… after the Saharan Crisis, right?” Jadeite says with a small smile that practically drips fondness, and Kunzite can’t help but share the sentiment._ _ _ _

____(Technically the last time they met like this was when the Prince had… but that topic is better left unspoken about, just like the empty chair that Kunzite had placed at the end of the table that all four of them take wary glances at out of the corner of their eyes.)_ _ _ _

____“Indeed. We’ve always convened in moments of crisis, and this is no different. Now, Zoisite, regale us with your report.” This time Nephrite takes the lead, his voice solid and leaving little room for debate. Despite the illusion of rankings, Nephrite’s always been more of a co-leader than subordinate, just as Jadeite and Zoisite have always been more like annoying little brothers, so the Western King isn’t really infringing on any of Kunzite’s duties._ _ _ _

_____(Except for recently. How frustrating.) ____ _ _ _

______“Recently, me and Kunzite voyaged to the city of London to investigate a report of strange activity that Jadeite had dug up using his sources.” Zoisite states clearly, and Jadeite smirks at the mention of his network of information nodes. It must be satisfying, to finally be right about something after finding nothing of value after so many… incidents._ _ _ _ _ _

_______(Wild goose chases, as Nephrite calls them.) ____ _ _ _ _ _

________“After arriving in the city, we stopped at a bar so we could get a feel for what to look for before being accosted by two youma… one of which said they were working for a ‘Dark Kingdom’ “_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________A hush falls over the table as all four of them realize the direness of their situation. Nephrite has already briefed them on how that crab youma had attacked, and there is only one person that has the resources to create such abominations._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Beryl, it seems, has made the first move in seven years._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“They appeared to be looking for someone called ‘Danburite’ for an unknown reason… but found us instead, and attacked. Obviously we're still here, so we destroyed them… but that begs the question; what else has Beryl done?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________(Danburite. Wasn’t he one of Venus’s men?) ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Quite a bit, apparently.” Kunzite must’ve voiced his thoughts out loud because Jadeite cuts in, and all eyes turn to him as he leans back in his office chair._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“In addition to the strange incidents in London, there appears to be an unknown group operating out of Japan. They call themselves the ‘Sailor Senshi’, and have been the subject of much speculation by the Japanese public. In the London files, a mysterious woman named ‘Sailor V’ was mentioned to be involved.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________(She has golden hair.) ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“It’s obvious that there’s correlation between the two, and I’d wager that this is merely another way Beryl’s trying to infiltrate humanity.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________With the facts established, all four of them look at each other with calculating eyes that all speak the same question; what now?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“We can’t just let Beryl do as she pleases, so I propose that we once again investigate, and if need be exterminate these incidents in Tokyo.” Nephrite simply says after a beat of silence, and Kunzite glares at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“So are we to just pack everything up and galivant across the world to chase a paper trail? In case you haven’t forgotten, we’ve lost quite many of our numbers.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_____________(The chair at the head of the table beckons.) ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“We’d have plenty of people if you’d actually help me and Jed look for them, and we can’t just wait for a savior to drop out of the sky.” Nephrite snipes back, and Kunzite raises an eyebrow at the accusation._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“As far as we know, Nephrite, Sir Zirconia and the Elysian Priests haven’t reappeared, and risking our resources in a rescue operation is simply foolish, and...” Kunzite makes sure to put effort into these next words._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I’d say that you’re being quite unfaithful to Prince Endymion, with the way you’re deriding the notion of a savior.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________A hush falls over the table as Jadeite and Zoisite eyes widen in shock and slight fear, and Nephrite’s jaw hardens as he glares back at Kunzite._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“If we’re all recalling correctly, I’d say that deserting your kingdom in it’s hour of need is pretty damn unfaithful, so don’t lecture me about duty, Southern King.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“If it meant that the Golden Crystal could be saved, then-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________“BULLSHIT!” _Nephrite thunders while slamming a fist on the table, making it scrape against the floor loudly.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Endymion thought that getting his rocks off with an underage, spoiled Lunarian Princess was a better way to spend the last days of Elysian than defending his kingdom with his brothers!” His eyes take on a narrow, vindictive shape._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Though, it makes sense that you would defend him, since critiquing him would be an admission of your own guilt. I always thought that you two were a bit too friendly with each other.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________(“Elysian… I want it to be more than an idea.” _)__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________________(“Terra is… beautiful, in a way, and I do not say that lightly.”) ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Kunzite growls and glares at Nephrite as Zoisite raises an eyebrow in confusion and Jadeite looks away from him with an expression that he can’t quite place._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’m well aware of your opinions about Endymion and I’s failings, but I’m not going to rehash the past with you when the future is hurdling right towards us.” That takes the wind right out of Nephrite’s sails, and he sits back down, having seen that there’s no point in trying to get Kunzite to agree._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Fine. I was actually thinking of remedying our numbers issue in another way, though.” Nephrite spits out, navigating away from the dangerous topic of the Shitennou’s past._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Oh?” Kunzite says while tapping his fingers on the surface of the table._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yes. I think Usagi is ready to be knighted, after what happened last weekend.” Now that’s something that Kunzite didn’t expect._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Usagi? Are you quite sure? Her skill in magic is nowhere near as capable as ours, and every instance of her using magic has been purely out of emotion.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yes, I’m sure. That youma was no easy beast to defeat, and Usagi destroyed it almost instantaneously. Also, her magic can be molded into a fine weapon if she’s trained correctly.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“You’ve been saying that for years.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Yes, but now Usagi’s old enough to fully understand what I’m trying to teach her. I asked her, and she said yes.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Those are all good points, but… is she really ready?” Kunzite’s gaze sweeps the table, looking to Jadeite and Zoisite for their opinion. It’s the Eastern King who speaks first;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I’d say that she’s ready. Usagi’s emotions give her motivation, and if she wants to join us in our guard, then she‘s able to in my opinion.” Zoisite follows up on that with;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I ascended to the Northern throne at age fifteen. If I can handle that, then she can handle being Nephrite’s squire.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Kunzite sighs, and gazes towards the empty chair at the head of the table._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“So be it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________-_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Ugh… they really had to put her through the ringer today._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Usagi shuffles along the sidewalk, backpack weighing her down as the afternoon Texan sun beats down on her neck. The highschool is only a few blocks away from the apartment, but the walk home always feels like miles in this kind of weather._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________She passes by the various houses and glass storefronts lining the streets before finally arriving back at the apartment. It takes her a few minutes to get up the stairs, but when Usagi finally does, she begins to hear the sound of muffled voices emanating through the cheap, wooden door to their apartment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Looks like they’re arguing about something again. Maybe if she…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Usagi unlocks the door and pushes it open a hair, and the light of day shines through the crack as she peers through the door._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“Ah, Usagi. We were just talking about you.” Kaden’s voice echoes from the side of the kitchen table, solid as a brick wall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________What’s… going on?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________All four of them are convened around the kitchen table, clad in that same steely-grey uniform that she found in Max’s closet with a variation in color with the piping. At the head of the table sits the recliner from the living room, and for some reason nobodies sitting in it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Isn’t Kaden supposed to the leader or something?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“I… must’ve interrupted the wizard convention. If you want me to go to my room, I’ll…” Léon snorts at the mention of wizards, which helps lessen the tension present in the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“No, stay. I believe Kunzite has something to tell you.” Toujima says before pointing to Kaden, who points at a bundle of grey cloth sitting on the center of the table._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“It has been the decision of the Elysian Council to admit you into the ranks of Terra.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________“ _What?! _” Usagi feels like her jaw dropped to the floor, and Kaden continues on as if he never heard her.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“You have proven your worth by showing the courage and prowess necessary to destroy that youma.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“It… was just one time, and-“_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Be that as it may, but we’ve made our decision. It’s up to you to accept the role.” Usagi rubs the back of her head and looks to the floor. It all seems too fast, but… she’s always wanted to help out her brothers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________She looks up, a steely glint in her eye, and makes her choice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Yes. I accept the role.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“Do you swear to uphold the values of Elysian, and to protect mankind from the horrors of the darkness?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________________“I… _do _.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Do you swear to reject the insidious lies of the many demons and those who wish to threaten the Earth?” This time Max cuts in, and Usagi swears that he’s glaring at Kaden out of the corner of his eye._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“I do.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________At that, Kaden throws the pile of cloth over to Usagi, who catches it before unfurling it. It’s a pair of gray slacks and heavy coat, with green piping._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________________“Very well; we, the Four Heavenly Kings, welcome you into the fray… _Sir Alexandrite _.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update, yay. Usagi finally get's her title. I didn't really want to beat around the bush when it came to this, considering that she becomes Sailor Moon at age fourteen.
> 
> On Rankings and Titles:
> 
> The Shitennou are not Prince Endymion's bodyguards in the same way that the Senshi are Serenity's; instead, they are (were) a coalition of co-rulers that joined Elysian after meeting Kunzite and Endymion in one way or another for various motivations. This makes the ranking as follows;
> 
> Prince: There is (was) only one Prince, who was Endymion. While he was wielder of Elysian's Golden Crystal, the territories of Earth do not follow him because of his bloodlines... past misdeeds (and because of an event that changed Terra forever).
> 
> Lord: The Shitennou are the only four to hold these titles, since they're the rulers of their territories while also being subordinate to Endymion via alliance. Together with Endymion (and a few other people not yet mentioned), they form the Elysian Council, the de-facto ruling body of Earth. While all technically being the same rank, Kunzite is deferred to because of how he came first, while Nephrite is second because of how he came second.
> 
> Sir: Lesser knights or noblemen that chose to follow the Shitennou as subordinates. Mostly made up of members of the various magical houses, they are usually given the administrative grunt work, or if need be, follow the Shitennou into battle.


End file.
